


The Seligman Effect

by TownFowl



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Babybones, Character Study, Completed, I guess????, Loss of Faith, Loss of hope, Oneshot, Papyrus (Undertale) Knows More Than He Lets On, Papyrus (Undertale) Needs a Hug, Papyrus (Undertale)-centric, Papyrus Angst (Undertale), Sans (Undertale) Needs a Hug, Sans (Undertale)-centric, Sans Angst (Undertale), Short, everyone needs a hug guys, pre-resets, skeletons get DRUNK, they’re kids at one point soooooo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:34:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27559909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TownFowl/pseuds/TownFowl
Summary: In which hope is lost.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	The Seligman Effect

I remember when we were kids.

I remember playing out in the snow, chasing you through the forest behind our home.

I would dodge around trees, feeling the wind whip through my skull as we ran. 

You would keep pace ahead of me, laughing as you sloshed through the snow.

Even at that age, you were faster than me.

Inevitably I would get tired, I always wear out before you, and we would collapse into a snow bank.

You would plop down next to me, cradled close against the cold sleeping into our bones.

And we would just sit there, staring at our breaths as they materialized in the cold.

I would point out constellations to you, up in the shimmering gem stones that we called stars.

You would take your hand in mine- it was so small back then- and tell me that one day we were going to see the real constellations, the real stars.

You would make sure of it.

I remember the first time we went to the dump.

We sorted through the scraps of things humans didn’t want anymore.

After a while you started to get bored.

I didn’t blame you, most of it was unsalvagable anyway.

But then you found it.

An old car magizine: all tattered and broken up. The pages were barely connected with how water-soaked it was.

You looked at it like it was the greatest thing in the world.

We would spend hours with that thing, sprawled across the floor in your room, pointing out our favorite models.

You would tell me about how one day, you were going to get a shiny red car, just like the one in the magazine. You were going to take that car and we would drive all over the world in it.

You would make sure of it.

I remember when you had just graduated high school.

I was so proud, I tried to cook us a celebratory dinner.

It didn’t work out.

Luckily we were able to put out the fire.

I thought you were going to be so mad at me- grease stains take forever to get out of ceilings- but you just laughed and handed me a mop.

As we got to work we talked about a lot of things. Your classmates, your future, my poor cooking skills.

Eventually you got me by the shoulder and told me that one day, we were going to be able to cook something nice. With fresh ingredients, not something scavenged from the dump. We were going to have a nice kitchen that wasn’t prone to catching on fire, as exciting as that is.

You would make sure of it.

I remember when that hope died.

I remember how I was sitting on the floor and how you were sprawled across the couch. 

It was a quiet night

We had been tossing back a bottle for a while now- for what reason I can’t recall. 

You looked at me- and you looked so tired.

“We’re never getting out of here.”

I couldn’t disagree. 

But it still stung to hear. I wanted to tell you that we would. That there was hope to see the stars and drive your car, and buy a nice house with a big kitchen.

Instead I took another swig.

“We’re never getting out of here.” You repeated. 

But then you smiled, and reached over to put a hand on my shoulder. 

“But we’re going to live a good life down here. 

I’ll make sure of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked this! It’s my first fic, to be honest. If you like this, you should go check out https://squarefriend.tumblr.com/ as she’s making an illustrated version of this ^^


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